The Cubs entered the nightcap of their twin bill in full-on freefall mode (by 2016 standards), on the heels of one-game losing streak that had spanned the course of several hours. And now, despite an absolutely superb effort from John Lackey, the losing streak has stretched to a world-shattering two games, as the Cubs fell […]
Day: May 11, 2016
Game 32 Recap: Padres 7 Cubs 4
It’s a beautiful day for a ball game, in the sense that really any day when it isn’t raining is such a day. In a stricter sense, it’s a pretty miserable day for a ball game, and yet, this was just the first of two. Top Play (WPA): With neither starter pitching well early, the bottom […]
Powell, Maddon Have Cubs Running Wild Through National League
In a season that, by the day, whispers ever-more insistently about the glories in its future, the Cubs’ thrilling, walk-off sweep of a top NL contender last week seems a fitting conclusion to Chapter 1. Having logged thirty games of insane .800 ball, the hot start is turning historic and gaining significance by the win. Though […]
The Workaround: How the Cubs Keep Their Pitchers Healthy (Maybe)
The Cubs are off to a blistering start in 2016, not only winning at an historic clip, but doing it convincingly, with an unprecedented run differential and even better peripheral indicators of team quality. Last season was a different story. Though those Cubs eventually won 97 games, one of the key narratives surrounding them—and one […]